Task force proposes city caseworkers to help homeless

Published: Tuesday, February 5, 2013 at 8:04 p.m.

Last Modified: Tuesday, February 5, 2013 at 8:04 p.m.

SARASOTA - Sarasota was in the national spotlight.

An officer had arrested a homeless man for charging a cell phone at a park, a couple officers called themselves “bum hunters” and police swung a homeless man into a metal booth. Sarasota officials were under pressure to act, and fast.

So, at the end of November, the city announced it had created the City-County Homeless Advisory Task Force to come up with “immediate stopgap solutions.”

On Tuesday, City Manager Tom Barwin told city and county commissioners the group's initial plan: hire three caseworkers to spend time in the streets and connect individuals with mental health and substance abuse services.

The response was less than enthusiastic. County commissioners were wary about the city entering the social work business.

“We certainly can't be in the business of trying to solve the problem when we don't have the expertise to do it,” County Commissioner Joe Barbetta said.

“I'd rather hear the nonprofits saying government can do this better than we can,” Commissioner Charles Hines said.

Barwin told the officials he did not want to spend months jumping through hoops when they have the momentum building to hire two part-time caseworkers and one full-time person — all of whom he and Police Chief Bernadette DiPino would oversee. He has contacted one local foundation and asked for funding, and said he planned to reach out to more people. His business plan estimated funding the three positions and their supplies would cost $150,000.

The task force, which includes nonprofits and homeless advocacy organizations such as the Salvation Army and Suncoast Partnership to End Homelessness, wants to start hiring people March 1, Police Capt. Paul Sutton said.

After the city announced the task force in November, several other community members offered to serve on the panel. Some of those people were members of Sarasota's numerous work groups and associations that have met regularly for years and discussed ways to serve the homeless.

Those meetings have led to a lot of discussion and little action.

So Barwin did not publicize the task force meetings. He said he wanted the task force to work quickly and efficiently, and not turn into philosophical discussions about the meaning of homelessness.

That approach conflicted with suggestions from county commissioners, including Commissioner Carolyn Mason, who said she would like to have more meetings before anything is done.

“It didn't get like this overnight, so we're not going to fix it overnight,” she said.

Countywide divide

The proposed caseworkers would focus on the large homeless population in the city of Sarasota.

There are roughly 150 people sleeping on the streets in the city every night, Barwin said, in addition to the 250 people sleeping at the Salvation Army. That is three times the national average for a city Sarasota's size.

To be effective, the city should have one caseworker for every 30 homeless people — so the task force plan would just begin to address the community's needs, he said.

In south Sarasota County, local governments are not pushing for caseworkers, although officials stressed Tuesday that there needs to be a regional approach to the problem.

Homeless people in the south part of the county and service providers in the area have said the population there is often overlooked because they are not as visible.

But in Sarasota, city officials constantly receive emails from residents who are worried about the people sleeping on the streets downtown and in surrounding neighborhoods.

“If you sense frustration,” Barwin told commissioners who asked for a slower approach, “it's because we're sensing frustration from our constituents we hear from regularly.”

<p><em>SARASOTA</em> - Sarasota was in the national spotlight. </p><p>An officer had arrested a homeless man for charging a cell phone at a park, a couple officers called themselves “bum hunters” and police swung a homeless man into a metal booth. Sarasota officials were under pressure to act, and fast. </p><p>So, at the end of November, the city announced it had created the City-County Homeless Advisory Task Force to come up with “immediate stopgap solutions.” </p><p>On Tuesday, City Manager Tom Barwin told city and county commissioners the group's initial plan: hire three caseworkers to spend time in the streets and connect individuals with mental health and substance abuse services.</p><p>The response was less than enthusiastic. County commissioners were wary about the city entering the social work business. </p><p>“We certainly can't be in the business of trying to solve the problem when we don't have the expertise to do it,” County Commissioner Joe Barbetta said. </p><p>“I'd rather hear the nonprofits saying government can do this better than we can,” Commissioner Charles Hines said. </p><p>Barwin told the officials he did not want to spend months jumping through hoops when they have the momentum building to hire two part-time caseworkers and one full-time person — all of whom he and Police Chief Bernadette DiPino would oversee. He has contacted one local foundation and asked for funding, and said he planned to reach out to more people. His business plan estimated funding the three positions and their supplies would cost $150,000.</p><p>The task force, which includes nonprofits and homeless advocacy organizations such as the Salvation Army and Suncoast Partnership to End Homelessness, wants to start hiring people March 1, Police Capt. Paul Sutton said. </p><p>After the city announced the task force in November, several other community members offered to serve on the panel. Some of those people were members of Sarasota's numerous work groups and associations that have met regularly for years and discussed ways to serve the homeless. </p><p>Those meetings have led to a lot of discussion and little action. </p><p>So Barwin did not publicize the task force meetings. He said he wanted the task force to work quickly and efficiently, and not turn into philosophical discussions about the meaning of homelessness.</p><p>That approach conflicted with suggestions from county commissioners, including Commissioner Carolyn Mason, who said she would like to have more meetings before anything is done. </p><p>“It didn't get like this overnight, so we're not going to fix it overnight,” she said.</p><p><B>Countywide divide</b></p><p>The proposed caseworkers would focus on the large homeless population in the city of Sarasota. </p><p>There are roughly 150 people sleeping on the streets in the city every night, Barwin said, in addition to the 250 people sleeping at the Salvation Army. That is three times the national average for a city Sarasota's size. </p><p>To be effective, the city should have one caseworker for every 30 homeless people — so the task force plan would just begin to address the community's needs, he said. </p><p>In south Sarasota County, local governments are not pushing for caseworkers, although officials stressed Tuesday that there needs to be a regional approach to the problem. </p><p>Homeless people in the south part of the county and service providers in the area have said the population there is often overlooked because they are not as visible. </p><p>But in Sarasota, city officials constantly receive emails from residents who are worried about the people sleeping on the streets downtown and in surrounding neighborhoods. </p><p>“If you sense frustration,” Barwin told commissioners who asked for a slower approach, “it's because we're sensing frustration from our constituents we hear from regularly.”</p>